Refrigerator cabinet



March 4; 3947- w. E. RICHARD REFRIGERTOR CABINET Filed Feb. 25 1942 2 SheetS-Shee l l I I l I I I I I I I I I I I l I Patented Mar. 4, 1947 REFRIGERATOR CABINET William Edward Richard, Evansville, Ind., assignor, by mesne assignments, to

Seeger-Sunbeam Corporation, a corporation of Minnesota Application February 25, 1942, Serial No. 432.285

,basic physical particles ofthe material is usually attended by a decrease in coecient of thermal conductivity, and also, because a given amount of less compact material, occupies greater space, by a lesser weight per unit volume. Thus when the fibers of a @brous substance (let us say a material formed from wood fibers to use a well known example), are formed into a board-like sheet under rather light pressure and using but a small amount of binder, an extremely efficient insulating material is formed. But such material has little mechanical strength, and it is diicult to process with ordinary cutting tools. A loosely packed sheet of material with but little binder is particularly hard to cut to shape where an inset joint, such as a rablbeted joint, is required, because the loosely packed and insecurely bonded fibers have a tendency to tear and pull out, and are diflcult to cut accurately with cutting tools such as those used for wood working. When strength and tooling characteristics are improved by an increased amount of binder and more forming pressure, much of the thermal insulative value is sacrificed.

Among the objects of my invention areI the following:

To increase both the strength and the thermal insulating characteristic of a plasticized refrigerator cabinet formed from panels of insulative material;

To raise the insulating characteristic of the walls of a refrigerator cabi-net formed of fibrous or porous material, the surfaces of which are plastic impregnated,l to a coellicient above that of the plastic impregnated material itself;

To construct the component wall panels of a refrigerator cabinet so that they can be assembled with inset or rabbeted joints without the necessity for subsequent tooling or grooving operations, which object is accomplished, according to my invention, by making the panels of laminated sheet insulating material of substantial mechanical strength, the laminae of which are assembled in longitudinally offset relation to each other, the surfaces of the panels being plastic impregnated;

To increase the mechanical strength and insu.

lating characteristic of a refrigerator, b'y the use of a wall panel having a shell of fibrous or porous material the surfaces of which are plastic impregnated, the panels being constructed with inner cavities filled with insulative material of higher (Cl. S12-146) insulating characteristic than that of the shell portion of the panels.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be set forth more yfully in the following description and in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, of which there are two sheets,

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a refrigerator cabinet made in accordance with my invention, a portion of the door and of the front portion of a lower drawer and lower louvers being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the cabinet illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is anenlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the upper rear corner of the cabinet taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

' Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view, taken on the plane .of the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is 'a similarly enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similarly enlarged, fragmentary, sectional View, taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a similarly enlarged, fragmentary, sectional View taken on the plane of the line 'I-l of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a refrigerator cabinet II comprises side walls I2, a top panel I4, a compartment bottom panel I5, and a compartment back panel I6. A compartment door II is mounted on the cabinet by means of hinges I8 and I9 and is provided with a latch member 20.

A` resilient gasket 23 is mounted on the rear face of the door I'l around the marginal edge thereof to engage the forward facing edges of the panels comprising the sides, top and bottom,

respectively, of a refrigerator compartment I 3.`

The door gasket 23 is offset inwardly as at 24 and 25 to clear the hinges I8 and I9 respectively. A drawer26 for the storage of vegetables and the like, is supported on rollers 21 mounted for rolling movement on channeled tracks 28 which are mounted on the inner faces of the side panels I2 in the space beneath the compartment bottom panel I5. Y

The'drawer 26 is provided with a front panel 29 which is designed to harmonize with the compartment door I1, a drawer pull 30 being secured to the front of the panel for manipulating the drawer.

Three louver strips 33, 34, and 35 are mounted to extend across the space between `the .lower portions of the side panels beneath the drawer panel 29, and serve to dress up the lowergp of the refrigerator as well as to provide Qrtioni f a Srengthrfij ening reinforcement between the lower end por'- layers or laminae of insulating rectangular cut-out openings 66 1 layer, with the 1 layers 44 and 45,

' joint, as best illustrated in tions of the sidefpanels below the compartment bottom member I5.

The lower edges of each of the side wall panels I2 is shod with a metal plate 36 to protect and reinforce these lower edges of the side panels. These plates each have a pair of embossed, downwardly projecting protuberances 38 and 39, one at the front and one at the rear, to act as supporting feet for the refrigerator. If desired, threaded leg levelers, Ill) indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '7, may be threaded into central openings in these protuberances. f

The kdetailed structure of. the side `panels I2 is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, y panels are similar to each other with the exception that one is the reverse of the other, only the right-hand panel, as illustrated in Fig. 1, will be. described. The panel is composed of four the purpose of the present description, may be assumed to be of the wood-fiber type, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other-types of insulating board may be equally suitable'.

The outer layer or lamination 43 of this panel is continuous throughout the entire area of the.

panel. Two central or intermediate layers it and 45 of similar material are formed each with a rectangular opening d6, extendingthroughout most of the entire upper portion of these layers.

. Although the intermediate layers 44 and 45 are illustrated as-comprising` single sheets with the therein, it will be be applied in the apparent that these layers may form of strips, surrounding the desired open areas 46, and secured tothe continuous outer marginal edges of the intermedi- 6 and 7. Since the side thereof which is adapted to receive a refrigeratviously described, and illled with suitable insuyor k factor. l

lating material 5 4 of low thermal conductivity The construction of the compartment door I1 is illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. 'Thedoor is formed with two cavities 58 and 59 therein, separated by a solid central horizontal strip 50 upon which is mounted the latch 20. This strip, in addition to providing a strengthened support for the latch 20, also serves to brace the outer and inner layers of the door which are secured to the opposite sides of this strip.

board, which, for

Each of the panels enclosing the refrigerator compartment i3 is constructed with a cavity or cavities therein, the cavities being lled with light, loose, insulating material 54, of low thermal conductivity such as rock wool, before applying the final lamination whichcompletes the panel ate layers coextensive with those of the outer layer `43.

An innermost layer d1 of each side panel is coextensive with the front, rear, and bottom edges of the outer layer 43 and of the intermediate however, the inner layer 41 terminates a short top of the panel, as defined by the upper edges of the other layers 43, 44 and 45 to receive an end of the top panel I4 inthe rabbet thus formed.

The inner layer 41 .preferably is made in twoy distance downwardly from the counterbored as at 61 pieces, as best illustrated in Fig. 6, these pieces f being separated to receive the end of the bottom panel I5 therebetween to form a grooved butt Fig. 6.

The compartment top panel I4 and the compartment bottom panel I5 may be substantially similar to each other, each comprising an overall outer layer 48 of insulating board and two in-r termediate layers 49 and 50 (see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6). The outer marginal edges ofthe intermediate layers are coextensive with the edges of the outer layer, andeach has a rectangular central opening 53 therein, to form a cavity adapted to be filled with light, loose insulating material 54,'

such as rock wool.

The innermost, or compartment-side layer 55 of each of these compartment top and bottom panels, respectively, is coextensive with the front and side'marginal edges of the other three layers 48, 49 5and 50 of these members, but the rear edge of each of these innermost layers cut awayfthe thickness of the back panel I6, to form rabbeted joints with the upper `and lower ends, respectively, Vof the compartment back panel, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3." K v The compartment back panel I6 is formed with'l a rectangular opening 56 in the upper portion such as' that illustrated inv Fig. 5, to secure and encloses the cavities. A

After the Various panels have been assembled as above set forth, the edges` of the panels may be trimmed to size as by means of suitable cutting machines, such as a planer, slicer, or joiner, and may be finished approximately to their nal dimensions.. |Iheedges of the various' panels, where desired or necessary, may be rounded or otherwise contoured.

In assembling the panels to form the cabinet, the panels may be secured together-by screws, such as are illustrated in Figs. 3v to 6, inclusive, but I desire to have the holes into which the screws are inserted providedwith plastic impregnated surfaces, for the dual purpose of sealing these holes against the entrance of moisture, and for providing a more secure gripping medium for the threads of the screws.

Therefore, when the panels are in their esses above described, I prefer to drill the screw holes in the various panels as at 64 and 65 inFig. 3, and at 66 in Fig. 4. The holes preferably are to receive the heads of screws 68 used to secure the panels together. At the same time I also preferto drill holes to receive shelf supporting studs 69 in the side walls i2 and I3.

After the holes are made, the exposed surfaces of `all of the panels are coated with hardenable plastic material 10 which is applied in ai state sufliciently fluid to impregnate slightly the outer fibrous surfaces of the panels.- the plastic impregnating material being owed into the various screw holeswhich then are cleaned of any excess plastic material whichotherwise might fill these holes and close them off vbefore the plastic is hardened; Instead of the standard headed screws illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, Igrnay use double pointed right and left hand threaded screws 12, the panels together. These screws preferably are of the -self--driving type with long pitch threads which cause the screw to rotate merely by pressing the panels together in the direction of the axis of the screw. blind joint with no exposed screw heads or recesses, al decided advantage both from the standpoint of appearance and sanitation.

'I'he plastic material used as a coating for the plastic materials are numerous, and are well roughly finished form, after the completionof the proc` This construction provides amethod, such as by brushing, spraying, dipping, V

molding or knifing For covering the outer and inner surfaces of the panels I may use sheets 1| `of plastic material applied to the panels and secured thereto by suitable adhesive (see Fig. 5).

After the plastic has been applied, as above set forth, the plastic may be hardened, either, in the case of a'thermo-plastic, by permitting it to cool after being applied in a heated state, or if of the type requiring baking, then by baking it at a suitable temperature for a 4required period of l5 time. If an air-hardening plastic is used, it may be hardened in the customary manner by exposing the panels tothe air, and permitting them to dry for a required period.

After the plastic has been applied, the surfaces '.'0

of the panels may be given a nal smoothing and finishing treatment as by ne sanding with a suitable sanding machine, or by rubbing with suitable abrasive, detergent or polishing materials, to

provide a desired surface nish, which may be anything from a dull mat to a high gloss.

I prefer to use as a plastic, a substance of a color and texture which will be suitable for the finished refrigerator cabinet, so that no subsequent treating or finishing operations are required after the various panels have been assembled as illustrated, to form the completed refrig-v erator cabinet. If desired, however, after the cabinet has been assembled, a finish coat of suitable paint or lacquer may be applied, as by spraying, after which the cabinet may be subjected to a conventional baking period if required bythe particular finish coat which is employed.

In assembling the panels which form the cabinet, I may apply a quantity of hardenable plastic substance to the surfaces comprising the joints. While this plastic substance is soft, the joints are drawn tightly together, so that when the plastic is hardened, the joint is sealed and strengthened thereby. `Any excess plastic material which is squeezed out in tightening the joint, may be wiped on before it hardens to leave the joint in' a smooth finished condition.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims. e

Iclaim':

1. A refrigerator cabinet constructed ci a pair of side panels, a top panel, a rear panel and a bottom panel, the said rear panel being formed with an aperture fc'- receiving a mechanical re- 00 frigeration unit, and the said bottom panel being disposed above the lower ends of the side panels and engaging the lowerend of the rear panel to form a drawer space below said bottom panel,

and a door panel hingedly mounted on one of said side panels for closing the front of said cabinet, all of said panels being constructed of an outer layer and an inner layer of rigid fibrous and porous insulating material, the said inner and outer layers .being spaced and joined about the borders of each panel by a plurality of interme-` diate laminations of said fibrous insulating material, forming a chamber in each panel between the inner and outer layers and inside the border laminations saidv chamber being lled with loose nbrous insulating material, the said laminations providing solid and rigid portions adjacent to the edges of each panel, through which the panels are secured together by means of diagonally extending threaded .fastening means.

2. A refrigerator cabinet constructed of a pair of side panels, a top panel, a krear panel and a bottom pan`el, the said rear panel being formed with an aperture for receiving a mechanical refrigeration unit, and the said bottom panel being disposed above the lowerl ends of the side panels and engaging the lower end of the rear panel to form a drawer space below said bottom panel,`

and` a door panel hingedly mounted on one of said side panels for closing the front of said cabinet, all of said panels being constructed of an outer layer and an inner layer of rigid fibrous and porous insulating material, 'the said inner and outer layers being spaced and joined about the borders of each panel by a plurality of intermediate laminations of said fibrous insulating material, forming a chamber in each panel betweenthe inner and outer layers and inside the border laminations said chamber being filled with loose fibrous insulating material, the said laminations providing solid and rigid portions adjacent to the edges of each panel, through which the panels are secured together by means of diagonally extending threaded fastening means, the said as-` sembled cabinet being coated on the inside and outside with a hard plastic water-proof covering -fimpregnating the insulating material for a limited distance from the surface and extending over and closing the joints between panels to provide the exterior and interior with a durable air-tight coating.

WILLIAMEDWARD RICHARD.

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